Russia to draft 133K in fall conscription, including annexed areas

Russia plans to conscript 133,000 men from October to January, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 30.

The draft will target men aged 18 to 30, including those in the annexed regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Why it matters?

This comes as Russia seeks to bolster its military amid ongoing fighting in Ukraine. The U.K. estimates Moscow is recruiting 30,000 people monthly to support its war efforts.

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Ukraine, meanwhile, passed a law in April to replenish its own ranks, lowering the draft age and requiring millions of men to update personal data for mobilization.